Monday, February 6, 2012

The Other Guitar Heroes

A friend recently posted a live Tom Petty video with the comment "Such an underrated guitar player." Of course, I can't find the video now. I'm not even sure just what he was referring to. But it did make me think of Andy Partridge.

I'm feeling we may have had this discussion before, so forgive me for bringing it up again. I don't want to make this about "the usual suspects." I think we can all agree, even if our favorites differ, that Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton sit at the very top of the "best guitarist" list.

I was thinking more about people who never get mentioned in this discussion. Two others that immediately come to mind are Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze and Marshall Crenshaw.

Guitar solos are rare in pop tunes, but when Marshall and Tilbrook let one rip, it's usually one of taste and style. And it really isn't just about the solo. Check out Crenshaw's playing throughout the entire performance of "Fantastic Planet Of Love."

There are many other, better quality versions of this song, but I love this for one reason. Tilbrook, even in a solo acoustic setting, still rips out one of his most famous solos.

One more name I'd like to mention is Earl Slick. When people talk of Davd Bowie, they seem to almost always mention Mick Ronson and Robert Fripp...and with good reason. But Earl Slick has put in more time than either and his guitar work on Bowie's "Station To Station" alone is a reason to be cheerful.

I do have a few more guitar heroes, and I'd be remiss not to mention the Thin Lizzy team of Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. How I wish more people would get beyond "The Boys Are Back In Town" and "Jailbreak" and discover these gentlemen.

But for now, I'd like to highlight XTC's Andy Partridge. As Red Buttons would have said, "The great Andy Partridge...never got a dinner."

I've included two versions of "Books Are Burning." The studio version includes Dave Gregory and Andy trading fours. The live version is just Andy. Also here, "Church Of Women," from "Wasp Star." This is my kind of guitar playing.

Who would you like to nominate for unlikely guitar hero? Please include an example and maybe we'll mix it up for the weekend.

63 comments:

Oh man...so many(now that I say that, watch me draw a blank)...ok...so right about Crenshaw...This is Easy a must...Bill Nelson,hard to pick a few but:Heavenly Homes, No Trains to Heaven,to name two(try finding them on youtube)....Spedding:My Maria,his Robert Gordon work....Stewart/Creme tandem of 10cc....Elliott Randall(everything and anything),Allen Holdsworth....help!!!!

I'd want to suggest Robyn Hitchcock for something (Egyptian Creme, maybe), but I'm blanking on anything that shows him ripping through a guitar solo...) "Mr. Kennedy" from the Soft Boys reunion album has a nice guitar solo duet with Kimberley Rew, but that's cheating.

But I find him an underrated guitar player -- his name almost never comes up anywhere.

i am thrilled to see "fantastic planet of love," which has been a crenshaw fave of mine for some years, but this is the first time i've seen it get its due. thanks! and earl slick's work on "stay" is spectacular.

i'll also take the hit for mentioning todd here, with so many possible songs, but one of my all-time favorite solos for pure searing emotion and economy of expression has always been "hurting for you." for me it's in the same realm as the solo in "goodbye to love."

I guess people who first come to mind are those who are highly regarded but aren't immediately thought of when lists of top twenty guitar greats are compiled: Scotty Moore, Chuck Berry, James Burton, and Carl Perkins Carl Wilson? I thought he was damned great. Danny Gatton, I imagine is too highly regarded. Al Anderson? But if you really want unknown, check the video for Pokey LaFarge's latest single. His guitar player is unbelievable.

Thanks for highlighting Earl.Way too many to name but I would definitely include Mick Ralphs, mostly for his work with Mott (Rock and Rock Queen is a fine example) as well as some of his early BC. Always plays tasty, and minimal. Not sure about their being heroes, but might be worth mentioning: Jeff Buckley, Chris Whitley, Tom Verlaine, and even Wally Bryson.

I was always a fan of Marshall Crenshaw's acoustic playing, especially on the live version of "There She Goes Again". Also to give props to the acoustic work of Martin Quintinton on the early Rod Stewart albums, namely on the song "Every Picture Tells A Story".Also Robert Quine on Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" to exhaust all guitarists whose last name begin with the letter Q. @ Jeff Matthews, Wally Bryson was the fist name I thought of,very underrated.

Gotta give Phil Manzanera props. This is a guitar player that is never satisfied with a signature sound. Every song, whether with Roxy or solo, is another adventure.

Surprised no one has mentioned Bruce Springsteen. This man has been known to let rip some very soulful work live.

I am a fan of Prince's playing, but the one thing that has always bothered me about it...and guitar players forgive me for my drummer's, non-techie description of this...

...too often he holds back. It's as if he strikes a note, lets it sustain, plays a few short runs and starts over. It's rare when he extends a solo so we can hear just what he's thinking and feeling melodically.

I'll throw a few more in here that no one else has mentioned:Willie Nile, Glen Mercer, "Little Charley" Baty, Junior Brown, Brian Henneman (Bottle Rockets), Rick Miller (Southern Culture on the Skids), Eddie Angel (Los Straightjackets)and although he's hardly unknown, I think his guitar work is taken for granted:John Fogerty(he wasn't on Rolling Stone's Top 100 list.)

@Ash: Respectfully, I gotta defend Earl Slick here - he was indeed responsible for much of the guitar sound of S2S. I don't think the criterion here in any event requires inventiveness -Slick is grounded in 60s Britrock and his loose guitar-weaving style definitely owes to Woodie and Keef. But he is rock solid, always nails the right tone and note selection. Listen to his non-Bowie work, with Phantom Rocker and Slick, with Tonio K, or Ian Hunter for example. Sal: another late entry - Martin Belmont?

Glad you brought up Paul Simon. I almost did earlier, then...well..I didn't. Some amazing playing on ALL of "The Sounds Of Silence" album, and of course, "Bookends." Plus, his version of "Surfer Girl" at the Brian Wilson tribute still blows me away. Some excellent fretwork there!

@ASH

"Overnight Angels" is one of my fave Ian records. Why is is so looked down upon?

As for Earl Slick, I've just about loved everything he's been associated with.

I didn't mention Todd Rundgren for obvious reasons, but without question, he is someone who should indeed get the nod. As a matter of fact, he is playing better than ever these days.

Toy Caldwell from the Marshall Tucker Band. Duane and Dickey got tons of well deserved accolades, but Toy was a fine, fine guitarist in his own right. Tons of country and southern soul with more than a hint of jazz. And no pick! Great great player that I truly miss.

Unlike Jimmy Page when he appropriated "When She Moved Through The Fair", retitling it "White Summer", Paul Simon gave Davey Graham credit when he covered "Anji".Spedding fans need to hear his sublime solo on "The Game" by Roy Harper, from his classic album "HQ".Those unfamiliar might like to know the backing band besides Roy and Spedding consists of Dave Gilmour, John Paul Jones, and Bill Bruford.I've posted it on my blog here:http://alanwalkerart.com/wp/?p=571

I agree with all of the players that everybody has been mentioning. On a jazzier side I really like this version of Castles Made Of Sand/Little Wing by Tuck & Patti.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M56QwDjE6PQ

Someone mentioned Robert Quine, and that guy never got his due. Was excellent with Lou Reed, although I was never sure it was him or Lou playing lead on some of those songs. (I know Quine's signature tone, which is why I think Lou might have been soloing ... song in particular I'm thinking of is "Little Sister" ... which has to be one of my favorite guitar solos.)

Quine even made Richard Hell sound good to me, and I don't like Richard Hell!

and it's amazing, he's playing like he did 35 years ago—all he needed was a few years of playing regularly. matter of fact, if anything good came out of the johnson stuff, it would be that it kept him on the guitar after the arena tour ended...

The YouTube comment that was the original inspiration for this post was, of course, speaking of the underrated status of Mike Campbell. My take is that he's like (the Oakland A's) Joe Rudi was as a player in the 70's. He was underrated for awhile, but then was so famous for being underrated that he really wasn't underrated anymore. He's still great (Campbell, I mean. I don't think Joe can play anymore.)

Justin Hayward. His playing is melodic and serves the songs well.

Brinsley Schwartz--especially his work for Graham Parker.

I agree with many of the others listed. In general, hard rock and metal guys are rarely underrated because of the genre's emphasis on guitar. I suppose Alex Lifeson could be because he's perceived as the third wheel in Rush, but he has won a Guitar magazine poll before.

The first name I thought was Bill Frisell, but figured he wouldn't be considered the right "genre". So I'm glad Noam put him in the mix. Interesting he also mentioned Elvis Costello in the same post - Frisell did an album of the Costello/Bacharach songs. But my favorite piece - and forgive me if I'm straying too far - is his rendition of "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLzPINVVTQA).

Bruce, Prince, Nils Lofgren, Bill Kirchen, Steve Cropper; all favorites. Not unknown, and I maybe risking scorn here, but my own list would include the Edge and Eddie Van Halen.

wow so many responses I may have missed these two guys but Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner the two guitar players on Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal and Mitch Ryder's Detroit. Those guys could really kick ass ie: Rock and Roll. Also all of the Lynyrd Skynyrd guys collectively.And although he may already be considered a guitar hero Steve Cropper and all those other guys from Muscle Shoals and Nashville whose names the general public doesn't know (Jimmy Johnson, Pete Carr, Reggie Young, etc. etc.) but kick major six string ass. Not so much for tear em up soloing but incredibly tasty licks that make the song.And James Burton

word verification of the day alimangs, sort of an allman brothers reference, appropriate no?

How great you mention Dylan'd guitar playing circa 1998-2002. I first saw him at the Garden in 2001 and was blown away by the way he played, how *musical* his playing and the whole show was. Not what I was expecting. Broken-hearted that he's been keyboarding ever since, at least when I've seen him. Thank God for the harmonica.

Curse you, Sal. It's only early February and you've already got a solid candidate for post of the year. I recall listening to the Squeeze compilation some time ago and thinking, wow, nobody EVER talks about what great guitar playing there is here. It is even tastier for being in the midst of such great pop songwriting.

And I definitely give hearty seconds to John Fogerty and Dave Davies.

Well, he's a session guitarist, so he should be able to play, but people tend to forget about him - Waddy Wachtel (I'm a big Zevon fan)

I know people haven't exactly ignored George Harrison over the years, but I think his playing on his last album, Brainwashed, is great, especially the instrumental Marwa Blues.

OK, I'll inflict a choice Brazilian song on you - Gilberto Gil. and Toquinho, enjoy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLOqNeCps20&feature=related

Umm, how about Robert Smith of The Cure (try The Kiss)? And David Byrne always was more unique than he gets credit for (The Good Thing or Found a Job, though I don't know when it's DB playing or Frantz). If you know the band, he's not unsung, but Billy Zoom of X rocks it. And Stephen Malkmus is known for his guitar playing, but I don't know how much the solo album Real Emotional Trash gets - I love the playing on that.

Robbie Hoddinott, Kingfish (any track, Round Records, 1976) – more of a one hit-wonder than an Other Guitar Hero. I also like Kenny Withrow, from Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, try “What I Am” . . .Sonny Landreth is a great call and did anyone mention J.J. Cale?!?

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